Project Masam has carried out the destruction and detonation process of 368 landmines, explosive devices, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the Dhahaba area of Ain district, Shabwah governorate.
Shabwah became a battleground in 2015 between Houthi militias and army units supporting of Ali Abdullah Saleh, and army units and militias loyal to Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the country’s president between 2012 and 2022. During the campaign, Houthis extensively and indiscriminately planted landmines across the region, including “larger than ever seen” anti-tank landmines.
The bulk demolition operation on 4 February included 204 anti-tank mines, 163 UXO and one improvised explosive device (IED).
According to the engineer supervising the implementation process and the leader of the survey team in the Marib office Hussein Ahmed Mohammed Al-Aqili, the explosives disposed of today had all been cleared in the last month by Project Masam demining teams in Ain, Usaylan, and Bayhan districts in Shabwah governorate, as well as the Harib district in Marib governorate.
Given every landmine has an explosive charge of up to 5kg, Al-Aqili explained that the explosives that were disposed of amounted to one tonne and 400 kg (1,400kg).
